P1: News

 11-9-24

Language

Industry

Audience

Representation

Political, social, historical, cultural, economic contexts 

Print News

Layout - masthead at top, often a central left or right aligned main image that varies in size often based on the formality and educated quality of the brand

Conventions - tabloid based papers like The Sun uses a greater image to text ratio with the image being the predominant figure due to the lesser intelligent readers and content, whilst more political or formal and educational papers are text heavy with numerous tag lines that are separate to the main cover point 

Images -  main image which is the majority of the front cover, often links to main cover line, subsequent images either link to a smaller story or are an advert from the banner 

Colour - Text is always Black or white with the only exceptions being the banner and possibly the masthead 

Tabloid - a newspaper having pages half the size of those of the average broadsheet, typically popular in style and dominated by sensational stories.

-Trashier news, celebrity based and sensationalised gossip, lacks deep political or world news, 

Mid market Tabloid - Mid market tabloids or middle market dailies are newspapers that include publications such as The Daily Express and The Daily Mail. They may include some conventions of both tabloid or broadsheet and tend to reflect a mid-point between the two genres.

-mixed between politics and celebrity based gossip style, has large amounts of text but still less than a broadsheet, often with a large cover image, cultural 

Broadsheet - a newspaper with a large format, regarded as more serious and less sensationalist than tabloids

-political and social news that is educated and quality 

12-9-24                Purpose and Process

-Purpose of news is to inform, tabloid informs about sensationalist news such as celebrities and TV, whilst Broadsheet informs  more political and serious global news

Production

-expensive to produce from material costs and trained staff for the production

-technology has allowed internet and satellite news, cheaper, also added colour to news 

Distribution

-expensive, physically transported, need to be in outlets from early morning

-cost can be lessoned via local printing and online news

Marketing

-advertising, TV, social media, sister papers

-exclusives e.g interviews

-synergy deals with other companies 

Circulation

-number of copies distributed, not sold

Ownership

Guardian - Scotts Trust Limited

Daily Mail - Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT)

-papers make money through advertisements within the paper alongside subscriptions and paywalls

-Industry faces a substantial decrease of people buying and reading newspaper and requires online innovation

-tackle this via paywalls and online diversification on social media 

Technological developments

1980s - Computers, printers and DTP programs

-news was printable at a much faster and quality rate

-audiences could create their own media for themselves 

1990S - Internet 

-people could share news online, both people and the news companies had a more global influence and greater access to information if they owned a computer

2000s - Broadband, web 2.0, smartphones and tablets , HD digital cameras, apps 

-everyone is able to view news online and share their own thoughts through mass use of social media sites, less people buy physical and news companies have to adapt to online 

-information accessible anywhere, not just in the paper

Advantages

-lowers environmental impact, allows globalisation 

Disadvantages 

-loss of print readers and lack of control 

18-9-24

Print News - Values

-Daily Mail paints it as. an equal playinfield with Boris seen to still be strong as a figure, opposite to the guardian which paints him as a weak and lost leader

• Editors act as a gatekeeper to ensure all news is suitable to the values and fit for the audience
• protective coverage means stories that may damage the public, powerful people or legal investigations can be withheld, it is heavily exploited to keep certain stories hidden in order to protect reputation (especially the owner)

News Values

-Guidelines used to identify which news is considered, most valuable, appealing and newsworthy for audiences 

Frequency - consistent articles about Israel and the war

Continuity - Israel vs Palestine, war in middle east is ongoing

Personalisation - Eamonn, celebrity mention, caters to a niche in the audience 

Negativity - 'Middle east on the brink' 

Threshold - met in main cover line which expresses the seriousness to invoke a reaction 

Meaningfulness - global news reported

    Unimbaguity - story is clear, facts are stated

Elite nations and persons - Trump and America

Unexpectedness - insane claim from Trump, shock factor 

Semiology 

-Main headline 'desperate, deluded PM clings to power' denotes the viewpoint of boris being at a failing stage of leadership, it connotes failure and implies he cares not for leading and rather clinging to the title

-Headline of 'Boris stares down the mutiny' makes it clear he is strong and facing down the opposition, with implications of his leadership capability and command over the country still being in top form  

-both show him to be in controversy  

Political bias                                                                                                                                19-9-24

-Explore political bias of printed news

-Free Press - a news industry that isn't regulated or censored by the government in values or beliefs 

-The Fourth estate -  news has a role in safeguarding the public from decisions made by the wealthy or politicians which could influence policy or outcomes 

-Bias is visible in the Guardians uplifting photo alongside the powerful quote in order to paint the labour party as a strong force, referencing their left leaning allegiance 

-The Daily Mail takes a more critical approach, already criticising the PM's need to deliver, a passive aggressive remark that reflects the right wing views 

-Homogenous view of news created, very similar viewpoints dominate the news industry

-National daily papers are meant to ensure Plurality, in which more than one viewpoint is maintained  

The Guardian and Daily Mail covers

The political allegiances of a paper is viewable in their presentation of representation of social groups, the classes, and the governing bodies in the form of politicians. 

The Guardian uses a proud lexis, with the only cover line being the main, paired onto a full image spread rather than the traditional white background, it uses this on a base level of denotation to detail the major news of the day, that the new PM is Kier Starmer, however when looked at from a deeper meaning with the connotations and signs as proposed by Barthes' semiology, we can see the clear political messaging. The article celebrates the political and historical event of the labour party entering power for the first time in over 10 years after a gruelling conservative rule that is widely agreed upon to have been a downhill failure. Henceforth The Guardian, a news paper that has consistently criticised the conservatives for the duration of their parliament rule, which then further explains why they are in celebration of this new leader.   The change of the cover style reflects the change the nation will see, being expanded upon by the main cover line using a powerful quote that desires to invoke views of power onto the labour administration, an evident reflection and consolidation of The guardians political bias.  

Delving further into The Guardians political allegiance we see the portrayal of the good vs the bad, or in political terms the left vs the right, with either side being interchangeable in terms of whats good due to subjectivity and personal bias/benefit. The cover uses the phrase 'sweeping victory,' and chooses to use the quote of 'until you believe again,' rather than any remark made about ongoing issues, this in turn creates the sense of passive aggressive attitude towards the previous leaders, they choose a quote that serves as an indirect attack in order to promote the left agenda. This clear cut differentiation between the tow sides is a perfect example of binary opposition as proposed by Levi Strauss.

The Daily Mail serves to parallel the Guardian in the same forms of messaging whilst being on the opposite side of messages spread, pre-emptively criticising the new leadership, following their own right wing agenda despite the losing of their party in preference to win. The bold typography with a standout black and red colour grants importance to the lexis of 'Now he has to deliver,' it already signifies the view against this leader and gives no accolade to the achievement o wining the election, instead choosing a sour approach that, as Barthes suggested, connotes their values and beliefs that are still held in the conservative or Reform parties. This political bias is a consistent feature in the Daily Mails history, serving as one of the key elements of the paper and it presesents itself even when a new parliament is formed due to this history of conservative belief. The cover contains a banner of Boris Johnson and his plan to save the tories, even further symbolism of their allegiance and the opposition between the winners and losers of the election, creating a binary opposition that mirrors The guardians with the point of view being from the other side. 

Print news regulation                                                                                                                    25-9-24

• Regulation covers the news content and information printed by the press, alongside regulating ownership and competition laws
• British press is self regulated through an independent organisation of editors, regulates itself within a code of conduct
• punitive rather than preventative 
• breach can lead to fines or apologies
• Has issues

IPSO 

- Not seen to fulfil Levinson's requirements, doesn't have official regulatory status

-hold papers to account

-upholds standards of journalism 

-protects rights of individual

-maintains freedom of expression for the press

funded by its members, papers such as Daily Mail

-Public can complain without going through court to IPSO , papers can opt out and self regulate 

IMPRESS 

-Levinson compliant regulator since 2016

funded by IPRT, independent from news industry

-not liked by editors, claiming its government controlling freedom of the press 

-Plurality and competition regulated by 20/20 rule, prevents anyone who runs a newspaper group with a national market share of 20% or more from controlling licenses to provide ITV or C5 TV news 

Curran and Seaton

• ownership patterns and control serve how media functions
• capitalist aim to increase concentration of ownership, narrows opinions 
• profit at expense of quality and creativity
• impact of internet on news ownership, public voices greater but still less heard in mainstream 

Hesmondhalgh

• cultural industries follow capitalist pattern of increasing concentration 
• risk seen as loss of money
• use star vehicles and repetition 

Livingstone and Lunt

• consumers seek the private benefits from media, requires regulation to protect them 
• traditional regulation is being put at risk by globalisation of media 

26-9-24                                    Regulation and Theory

Industry theorists case study

The Guardian

Curran and Seaton

-Trust ownership removes how ownership effects journalist values

-uses voices from different povs, opposite to narrowing

-GMG needs profit so Scotts Trust remains separate from the journalism itself, increased online market share, opposing voice to right wing

Hesmondhalgh 

-struggled to survive in market dominated by global conglomerates

-digital outlets increased market share, lower risk from production cost, increased revenue from online 

Livingstone and Lunt

-self regulates as perceives both IPSO and IMPRESS as ineffective and unethical

-runs stories and protects whistle blowers if it is in public interest 

-readers editors deal with all complaints, 140million readers make this difficult

Daily Mail

Curran and Seaton

-DMG has high market share, concentrated ownership that spreads right wing agenda 

-Owned by Rothermere family, concentrated ownership, repetitive ownership pattern

-narrowing of opinions from the high market share 

-Online uses celeb entertainment to increase revenue by 93mil since 201

-Share of 20.1% (including online)

Hesmondhalgh 

-DMGT as a parent company allows integration of outlets and services, reduces competition 

-reducing printing plants and increasing online presence lowers risk

-Online extends reach o global, wider audience = less risk

-advertising revenue is high, production is low when online, reduces DMGT risk significantly

Livingstone and Lunt

-Member of IPSO, 17 cases of inaccuracy and invasion of privacy and intrusion in one year

-gossip driven news, requires protection of individuals

-less rigorous regulations online, user generated conduct is not regulated

Exam Q

The theory of Livingstone and Lunt serves to provide understanding of regulation within a media industry, and can henceforth be extended to news. The theory states that the consumer seeks benefits socially, intellectually and culturally through their consumption, this leads to the issue of preotection being required for a consumer to be consuming in the benefit of public interest, with the producers needing to be regulated for public interest and benefit to avoid a negative ripple across society baed on misinformation and disingenuous intention. 

The Guardian reflects why regulation may hinder news stories and shows why Livingstone and Lunt lacks in actually being effective for the whole sector of news. Protection of the public is important, this is done by the Guardian via their protection of whistleblowers how spread information of sensitive stories, however the Guardian also self regulates due to a belief that certain stories that IPSO or IMPRESS would censor are needed to be heard. this defies the regulatory view of L&L, L&L, lacks depth in explaining what the consumers interest and public benefit actually is, and the ideas are baseless under the presumption that it still allows one authority to be a regulatory body. The Guardians approach shows how L&L do not have an effective use of understanding regulation in news, The Guardian is self regulating but that can also be interpreted as being borderline unregulated,  yet it is considered to be one of the more accurate and detailing sources of news, and due to less regulation they are able to produce stories that other sources may obscure due to the possible damaging influence to major political figures or companies. L&L allows an understanding of why regulation is needed, but does not grant understanding to exceptions and how news as an industry is not strictly regulate like TV or Film with one regulatory body of OFCOM, the fact the option to self regulate even exists denies the ability of L&L to be able to understand news regulation. 

The opposite end of the spectrum where L&L can be interpreted to be effective in understanding regulation and why it is necessary is the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail within one year had 1 cases of reported inaccuracy and invasion of privacy, a clear unregulated act that occurred despite being under IPSO, suggesting regulation is either not tight enough or ineffective without harming the freedom of speech that is meant to be spread in journalism. LL state that regulation is necessary for these sole reasons yet also do not account for the globalisation of the Daily Mail that make it bordering on un-regulatable due to the sheer amount of articles that can be posted across such a wide global area.

As a theory L&L works effectively too understand why regulation is important but when applying it to news as an industry it falls short due to lacking depth in design with no account for the different regulatory bodies or the sheer quantity of news that is present in the globalization's found online.   

2-10-24

Print news - Economic factors 

Q3 - 10 marks 

• economic history, ownership model
• advertising, subscription and production
• difference between the trust and commercial
• movement to online over print distribution 
• donations
• statistics

Exam Q

Economical contexts play a heavy factor in the methodology and amount of distribution that is performed in the news industry. In modern day distribution has heavily changed to an online format due to a decrease in revenue in press sales, this can be seen in both Daily Mail and Guardian's production, with the DM even closing a print factory due to a decrease in profit. This online diversification leads to less profit from commercial sales whilst also being due to the steady decrease in print sales. This negatively effected the commercialised model of The Daily Mail which serves as a business first and news reporter second, as seen in their adaptation to more sensationalised news due to the greater revenue that is pulled in, alongside the fact they are owned the Rothmere's with a 25% market share, the maximum allowed. This economical decline in their profit has led to distribution shifting into a advertisement heavy set of their websites that is multi platform, with a focus on their subscription options and an increase to the price of the base newspaper due to a decrease in circulation, charging between three thousand and three million for an advertising spot to maintain revenue. This has proven to be successful with profits of 7 million recorded in 2017, which equal to the same as years prior showing a successful change in distribution.

The economical factors that change distribution also effect trust funded papers such as the Guardian, which relies on the Scotts trust which funnels any profits back into production of the paper, rather than making a substantial profit. Due to a decrease in physical readership they opted to decrease the paper to the size of a tabloid whilst maintaining broadsheet content, alongside pursuing an online distribution model similar to the Daily Mails, only with cheaper advertising costs and donation options for readers who may spare money to pay for the news which is now free online. It is viewable that online distribution is the next step in evolution for news and the influence from economical factors is clear, both papers suffered a decrease in physical sales which triggered the change to an online format, with print readership still existing but on a lower scale that is targeted to those who are less inclined to the online space or have the money to spare for a daily newspaper. The decrease in profits for the papers further led to a decrease in circulation due to less copies being printed, with online readership being above 10 million for both papers due top the ability to reach a global audience at any time. Another element that factors into how economical factors effect distribution is the online pressure towards how the audience now wants news distributed, as the audience has grown to be more online they expect an instantaneous article on events, requiring the companies to pay journalists around 24 hours of. the day rather than in the normal working day as was possible before due to the daily rather than hourly news. This causes distribution to be faster and circulated at a greater rate and greater scale in order to be the first company to publish a story due to the website traffic that is gained from new news, in turn reducing print news sales as well due to the fact tomorrows paper is likely to already be classed as old news when it arrives in stores. Both non-profit and commercial papers have been influenced in the same way by economical factors that have led to changes across the industry in how newspaper is sold.  

 level 3, 7/10

3-10-24

The Guardian

History 

Setup n 1821, continued to be passed down by the Scott family until 1984, focused on good journalism rather than the price war of broadsheets in the late 20th century and gained traction due to the political stories etc, severely expanded digital release around 2009 onwards

Owners/funding

Scotts Trust

Circulation figures

3.2 million print, 18.4 million digital, as of 2021

Advertising costs

Sales figures

264.4 million 

Alt revenue options

Financial contributions from wealthy readers across the globe

online revenue options

Advertising, donation requests 

Changes in distribution

Increased price of print, increased online news that is free, less print, higher readership online, more globalised audience

Principles

Values

Political Bias

Liberal

Reporting style

The reporting style follows that of an indirect generalisation of news, often with headlines and main articles not having a direct interview as such but rather a major event, formal sophisticated 

Ideologies conveyed

-anti war, pro immigration, liberal viewpoint, bordering centrist between socialism and capitalism

Regulator

self regulated

Controversies

-bias against Israel supposedly 

The Daily Mail

History

1896 founding, owned by the Rothmere's, moved to online as of recent while maintaining print due to an older audience,  has released versions specific to Scotland and Ireland

Owner

Rothmere, DMG

Circulation figures

36 million 2019-2020 on both print and online

Advertising costs

Revenue

Distribution changes

shut down a printing factory, increased price, move to online

Mission statement/ principles 

Political bias

Conservative

Regulated

IPSO

9-10-24

CS

H

L&L

The Guardian

Ownership

 

-Trust ownership however still has direct owner, Mentions Scotts trust donating money in restorative efforts which further displays their desire for news over profit

Funding and revenue

-mention of how Guardian subscribers get cheaper paper next to masthead, shows how they make funding of base fee and donators/subscribers

Tech developments 

-mention of live events that can be booked from The Guardian website found in the print, alongside a general move to an online format  the online content does depict the adaptation and need for survival though which can be seen in the inks to the online format

Move online, this reduces risk in profit loss and is easier to maintain

News values and bias

-Labour bias, clear uplifting of labour and promoting a strong atmosphere to their words, creating idea of hope for the labour party and how they will generate a greater future for Labour, whilst dissing the leadership of the conservatives

-somewhat narrow opinion with heavy liberal praise however still seeks to spread news rather than generate a profit  from this news,

-Uses less risk in the form of political news that is based around what is important today,

Has a protected whistleblower service due to being self regulated, will publish stories that effect major figures for the benefit of the public, 

Regulation

-semi controversial stories that can be freely published about major states or people and government plots due to being self regulated, have no reason to protect the rich and famous and determine that they should publish stories the public deserve to hear

The Daily Mail

Ownership

Class war - depicts conglomerate ownership style and the praise of the rich/ middle classes whilst dismissing the lowers 

Funding

- subscription model on front page, larger than masthead, representing the commercial funding

 

Sensationalised, rather than talking about the war in middle east or the major hurricanes it chooses to talk about Philip Scofield and alcohol,  having clickbait styled news  about Russia in Britain furthers. represents a desire for profit and narrow minded news from concentrated ownership that wants profit and to benefit themselves rather than spread what is important 

sensationalised news reduces profit loss, star vehicles  

Shut down of printing factory to reduce risk in profit loss

17 cases from IPSO, the papers contain a correction section that is cornered off on the inside, which protects the readers from misinformation despite the possibility of false news on the front or misleading headlines 

10-10-24

The way culture surrounds news has effected both content and production of the news that is offered to an audience in both the way it is accessed and represented. Culturally in Britain there has been an ever-growing market for online content, with every generation since millennials being digital natives, it makes sense for them to want a digital, accessible anywhere format rather than a paid for paper that must be bought daily, this culture that now exists in the constant advancing online world lead news to have a large move online, with the printed papers still existing but with a heavy focus on online news for the audience, with exceptions based on the audience. 

The Guardian serves a prime example of this, having an audience that ranges from teenage years to 50s, with a large section being in the middle, their audience desire  news that is instant and online, being accessible on a phone, computer or any digital device, The Guardian hence forth presents news as single articles online, with front pages of the website serving the same format as the front page of a newspaper, and presenting the news with links to donations and subscriptions in order to try and create a profit from the audience. The growing normality of everything being commercialised due to a society that constantly spirals further into capitalism has had the side effect of adverts being normalised, both in print news paper and now online, with people being desensitised to the concept of adverts in their news due to the cultural relevancy of selling a product in the past 80 years of society. This is extremely relevant in the guardians case for they are a trust that strives to spread news through any profit made, however they still fall to this capitalist side of money making in their advert slots despite trying to spread a socialist viewpoint due to how modern society is accepting of this content. 

The Daily Mail further serves to reinforce how culture effects news content, with a growing multiculturalism in British society due to the constant immigration both illegal and legal, the Daily Mail serves with a concentrated market share of 25% to voice the news for those who want traditional British values and culture, proposing negativity towards the future and selling a view on culture that is not fit fort modern society, often presenting their stories as opposing forces or the voice that speaks out against this growing multicultural society that demands more representation, which is granted by a paper like the Guardian. The DMG owning such a high market share causes a narrowing oof views that are spread in the whole industry, with these traditional British values becoming more expressed whilst The Guardian uses the Scotts trust to spread a wider variation of culture from employing foreigners and a more diverse set of people to allow voices from multiple angles on British culture. Both papers also will include major cultural events that the audience has either experienced or witnessed, with he content either preying on nostalgia or trying to create a sense of relatability for the content that is granted to an audience based on their cultural experience, aiming to be culturally relative. 

Target

Concentrated news ownership supports a one dimensional view of British Culture through news. Mail supports this cultural context through its ownership model DMG, Guardian however critiques this cultural context as it reveals a wider less influenced model of news through the Scotts Trust. Theory: Curran and Seaton Media industries are capitalist & aim to increase concentration of ownership; leads to narrowing of opinions represented in the press, affecting plurality.

16-10-24          Target Audience

Daily Mail

Demographic - Average age of 56, 54% female and 46% male, 63% upper and middle class

average savings of 100k+

Succeeders, explorers, reformers

and traditionalists

• Economic and political issues, focus on the country state and the issues, often controversial in opinion to the majority
• Investors less than consumers, high earnings with large amount of savings

The Guardian

Demographic - middle class, educated adult audience 

Average age of 54, 86% ABC1, 28k average income, 54:46 male to female

Harcup and O'Niel

Daily Mail

• Power Elite, main cover line in Russia and mention of Putin in the cover lines, front and centre of layout. 
• Celebrity - Philip Scofield in the main image, Holly in image and cover lines
• Entertainment - Lexis, mentions of TV stars in Philip etc
• Surprise - 'sobering truth' headline
• Bad news - main headline about Russia
• lack of good news is indicative of readership
• Magnitude - story of Russia and the threats to the UK 
• Relevance - Issue of Russia relevant, older audience also means Philip is relevant to them
• Follow up on Philip
• Agenda met 

The Guardian

• Power elite - main cover line and main image about to elite nations and the war, alongside pull quotes about the PM
• Bad news - highly negative news about the state of the other countries with the main image being the largest in the layout to reference this
• Good news - arguable in the sub image of the banner when the cover line mentions being loved and how good it feels
• Follow up - ongoing coverage of the war as seen inn cover line and main image
• Liberal agenda met with the open viewpoints and support

17-10-24

Target Audience

Bandura - Audience is influenced by media, can be influenced without direct exposure through social media etc

Gerbner - exposure to media genres or content over large amounts of time can cultivate behaviour, repetition of negativity can create 'mean world syndrome' 

• Mean world syndrome cultivated via the lexis of crisis and ongoing dehumanisation of migrants, with further emphasis on negativity spread in the tax rising
• Bandura applicable in that this news would also be posted online, enforcing that even without reading the news you still see it and are likely to be influenced by it e.g  talking about a 'migrant crisis'

Hall - encoding/decoding, dominant/negotiated/oppositional

Dominant - refugees are in poor conditions even after arriving to a supposed better country, we need to help them

negotiated - yes it is bad conditions and not the life they wanted but it must be done to prevent a failing of the system by letting masses of unregistered people into the country 

Oppositional - refugees are bad, should not be allowed into the country 

• Bandura - Lexis used 'engulfed' 'Taylorgate' 'scandal' all try and push narrative of negativity around pM, making something larger than it is 
• Gerbner - sensationalised in the mention of the famous star Taylor Swift with a more informal lexis talking about it 
• encoded meaning of the PM being in a scandal and ignoring it to watch Taylor Swift

• Bandura - more open view in the lexis, mentions ending of scandal 
• Gerbner - balanced, news sits in a middle ground of facts to be less negative whilst not maintaining positivity, lessens mean world syndrome
• Hall - left wing encoded reading that is dominant, negotiated would suggest the current government has issues but can be fixed as seen, oppositional would suggest a right wing would be better suited, with liberal ideology being the main display as see in the 'praise' of the minister for fixing a scandal 

 

  

6-11-24

Gerbner serves high value in understanding the audience of a newspaper, with the core element of cultivating value in an audience being valuable in analysing the paper and their audiences. When looking at a paper such as The Guardian, the consistent liberal messaging seen in the paper such as calling Americas's election ' a day of reckoning' due to the possibility of the conservative leadership in America, this henceforth cultivates a more left leaning view in its audience, influencing behaviour and possibly viewpoint. The Daily Mail has the same effect just with opposing views, having high Praise of Trump on their cover due to his conservative nature, with no mention of Kamala on the cover in an effort to shill Trump to the globalised audience, cultivating a conservative audience which both attracts an influences a right wing audience. 

Another core element of Gerbner is applicable and useful in understanding an audience and this is the concept of mean world syndrome, we see through negative messaging in both The Guardian and Daily Mail about the negative impact a certain party would have if they won, this negativity creates an atmosphere of cruelty that may be exaggerated from reality about how the world behaves, creating a 'mean world syndrome.' For example, the liberal focused paper, The Guardian, has emphasised the point of reckoning that will come of Trump, a right wing leader, comes into power, developing a mean world syndrome. The theory works for these elements however it does fall short when presented with the concept of alternating viewpoints, when a paper such as the guardian may have. amore right leaning viewpoint on a specific matter Gerbner falls apart due to the lack of a black and white reality in the way newspapers tell stories, therefore leading to the conclusion of Gerber having partial application and valuableness in understanding an audience. The theory can be used under the pretence of a paper only having one view, but in the case of most, this is untrue, but for the broad generalisation of a paper and its broad audience, Gerbner serves a s a good theory. 

Comment - You need to apply the element of the theory you are covering to both newspaper examples to demonstration evaluation of the theory.

Media Language

Genre codes and Conventions

Codes

-Technical: choices requiring technical input from either skills or equipment

-Symbolic: meaning communicated through technical elements

Conventions

-general and accepted way of doing something 

Tabloid

• Size - Small
• Lexis - informal , slang, starred out swearing
• Mode of address - direct address 
• Headline size - very large, most of front page
• Image to text ratio - Larger image to text ratio

Broadsheet

• Size - large
• Lexis - formal, sophisticated
• Mode of Address - Formal
• Headline size - small, detailed
• Image to text ratio - larger text to image ratio 

Barthes 

-denotations signify connotations, associated meanings 

-Creates myths

-Myths create ideological meaning 

Guardian - shows both Trump and Kamala in equal sized images, connotes the idea of it being a fair race with a 50/50 chance, the expression on Trumps face implies confidence, whilst Kamala expresses smugness, create myth of presidency being an equal and fair race, false idea that the political system is valid

Daily Mail - denotation, mid shot of Trump in red Maga hat, red connotes right wing America with a patriarchal and patriotic society as seen by the male frontrunner, naturalises belief of male leadership 

 7-11-24

Tabloidisation - broadsheets becoming either Tabloid shaped or more Tabloid based in terms of style and design

Dual Convergence - genres borrowing conventions from another in use of media language, increasingly resemble one another 

Neale 

-Genres change in popularity

-process where generic codes and conventions are shared by producers and audiences through repetition of conventions in media

-genres not fixed, hybrid and evolve 

Terminology + codes and conventions - print news

Typography 

• Masthead, large, red which displays the fact it is a a Tabloid
• headline, 'What have they done again' the font being bigger than the masthead dictates importance, the phrasing further displays a liberal viewpoint  
• lack of any other cover lines shows importance breaks convention 
• Date is small, below masthead
• Sans serif - more modern

Layout

• No columns, image is the whole page with exception of advert and masthead 
• Text laid over image
• high image to text ratio

MOA

• informal lexis, general address of audience 

Locations

• exterior, global image, outside and in America 
• saturated lighting that has been edited, high key 

Camera shot 

• mid shot
• straight on angle, eye level 

Typography 

• masthead, Largest text on page, whole top section
• headline, second largest text, sans serif, dominates top of the page
• barcode present 
• small text to allow for more in stories

Layout

• columns used for text
• high text to image ratio
• large image due to significance of event

MOA

• lexis, formal despite being aggressive to liberals, due to the right wing nature of the paper 

Location

• exterior, global

Lighting

• natural 

Camera shot

• mid shot, eye level 

14-11-24

Media language and case studies - Impact

The Daily Mail hybridises the genres of broadsheet and Tabloid by presenting what is typically hard news that would be found in a broadsheet, mainly politically charged, in a tabloid manner. This can be seen through elements such as lexis, in which the main headline describes political figures in an insulting or comedic way, whilst the actual story below the headline carries weight in being informative on the general affairs of a situation, combining an informal mockery with a formal education. The genres are further seen to be made into a hybrid via the layout, the Daily Mail uses the traditional tabloid layout of a large image content with a little amount of text, however the content of the text is focused less on sensationalism and more on the hard hitting world of politics. 

The cover uses media language to depict its hybridisation of the genre, this is evident in the masthead, a black and white title which makes use of a serif font to depict traditionalism, with these being elements typical to a broadsheet newspaper. This is further reinforced by the logo which is a drawing depicting traditional British iconography which represents British values, however the papers layout and small text to image ratio due to an overly large main headline, are features of a typical tabloid newspaper. Henceforth as seen the genre is blended by the Daily Mail n order to create a hybrid that sells hard news on a soft cover. 

The viewpoints and ideologies are presented throughout the masthead, main image and lexis of the paper. The Main image is of the royal family despite it being a separate story to the main headline, this represents an upholding of tradition and praise for the British figureheads, representing the traditional ideology held by the Royal Mail. The main headlines lexis further depicts ideology and viewpoints, with those being the the right leaning political push, this is clear in the heavy praise of the tory parties new leader, with bold claims and praise of the opposite to labour, representing their conservative allegiance. 

Levi Strauss

-study of hidden rules that communicate ideology or myths

-binary opposition

  

• Masthead - genre follows broadsheet, serif font displays tradition, block colour however is tabloid style, blue contrasts to tabloids, blue and white depicts modernity which reflects liberal views
• Main image, low angle supports the giving power to the people rather than the royals
• lexis 'partygate' scandal was overblown' shows the libertarian viewpoint and reinforces the view they don't support a specific party, being open to elements of both sides as seen through the lexis 

 

20-11-24

Media language Q2 practice

Baudrillard

• postmodern society organised around simulation and the play of images/signs
• hyperreality in which media is simulated, more real than the real
• World of simulation where individuals differences dissolve
• Simulacra - hyperreality that is indifferent to reality 

Media language is heavily used to depict viewpoints within newspaper covers. Both the Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail follow. tabloid format, with the Daily Mail being a mid-market tabloid, meaning both papers follow conventions from the tabloid genre. This can be seen within the covers both sharing a similar high image to low text ratio in the layout, with an informal lexis on hard news. The Daily Mail does however use a serif font with a traditional logo for the masthead, representing the more traditional viewpoints of the Daily Mail that are more symbolic of the conservative viewpoint and mid market tabloid genre, with the Daily Mirror having a red top masthead, conventional to the tabloid style. The use of a main image in a Tabloid relates to the usual only story of the cover as seen in both papers, with a choice on saturation being used in DM to present Trump as a more orange character, playing on the informality and left wing nature of the cover, whilst the TDM uses a dimmed and desaturated image to depict Trump in a greater manner, reflecting the conservative ideology whilst enforcing the conventional use of editing seen. in tabloids to alter perception of the main image. The informal lexis is used within both covers as well , TDM and DM both use this tabloid convention of gossip style lexis despite talking about hard political news. 

The lexis used within the sans-serif font of the DM cover's main headline of 'what have they done... Again?' presents a clear left wing ideology that is against the Trump presidency, with the informal lexis being used to ask why he has even been elected after the last time. This combined with the block capital font creates a representation of modernity which can be associated with the liberal viewpoints often held in left wing political circles, the election of Trump is the direct opposite to the DM's viewpoint and is a clear heavy influence on how the DM's views are represented in the cover. The Daily Mail uses an overly positive lexis on a serif font which depicts traditionalism, this paired with the celebration of crying liberals in the language sed and the celebration of the 'comeback to trump all comebacks' creates a clear representation of TDM's ideology and viewpoint, with traditionalism and praise of Donald being explicit connotation of a right wing agenda. As these views are created through elements of media language it is sae to say that the use of media language in a  newspaper cover is integral to the creation and representation of viewpoints and ideologies. This is enhanced further by the use of conventions in the media language which allows for the ideology and viewpoint to be constructed.  

27-11-24                                                    Representation

Dominant group - refers to group that controls the value system in a society, not necessary largest in size, social, political and economic power

<--- academic suggested dominant group in UK

• argued that because dominant group have access and control to the means of communication, there is control and influence over how other social groups are seen and understood
• individuals outside dominant group are classified as a subordinate group, certain people fall into both e.g a working class white woman is dominant ethnically but subordinate in gender and class
• suggests representation always bias towards dominant group 

• dominant ethnic group but subordinate gender group represented 
• Dominant group seen in the people writing the papers with white males who are presumably middle to lower middle class
• Labour represents dominant group, western, university educated, middle class

• dominant group and ideology - Biden, white middle class older male
• Israel is non dominant group ethnically

• dominant group - white male soldier
• represents subordinate group of older working class woman but they are dominant ethnically by being British white

Context such as ownership will influence representations in newspapers, a paper which is owned by a media baron is likely to share a more capitalist viewpoint that is nearer to the owner, whilst a paper owned more  generally by a trust is likely to spread. amore liberal and diverse message which is more accepting of subordinate groups and representing them in a greater way. 

Gatekeeping -  depends on appeal to target audience and how stories can be shaped to reflect a certain agenda, process of selection also includes de-selection of which social groups are not represented

• 9 stories
• Talks of politics, tax effects, rules regarding the future of cars which effects pollution and cost
• Represents subordinate groups of woman and non white ethnicity
• depicts dominant groups of white, male, middle class, etc, seen in mentions of PM or main image
• does not represent groups such as LGBT or disability
• Depicts the male as powerful, empowering shot with the drone with a seriousness whilst woman who fit into partial subordinate group are depicted with less meaningful or impacting problems such as makeup 

• 2 stories
• dominant social group depicted of white males, however contrasting representation with Elon musk and Trump being mocked
• no representation of subordinate social groups

Broadsheets depict a wider range of social groups that includes both the dominant and subordinate, however they depict the dominant group positively whilst the subordinate group is more mixed in view. 

28-11-24                                       Representation and theory

• Class - depicts middle and working class, police and Judge both middle class but the working is seen in the refugees who are heading home, arguably a negative stereotype as it depicts migrants as being tourists for safety purposes only 
• Age - heavy youthful representation, therefore not representative of the dominant group in the main image, perpetuates a greater view of the subordinate group, absence of dominant group links to views of change held by The Guardian with their liberal viewpoint 
• Gender - mix of male and female, both dominant and sub group represented equally
• Ethnicity - main image is subordinate group of non white nor ethnically British, mixed between positive and negative as it appears glad they are leaving but it is for the good cause of the truce 
• Disability - able bodied represented, no disability displayed, absence is neither positive or negative due to it being unnecessary when considering the main stories of the articles 

• Class - Dominant group heavily represented as seen in Kemi who fits both dominant and sub due to her gender and race, being praised due to the politics rather than the nature of the dominant group, whilst the story of the 'This morning Boss ' perpetuates the importance of the dominant group in society by utilising a relatively unimportant story purely due to the status of powerful white male
• Lack of working class representation, aligns with right wing allegiance and capitalist viewpoints
• Age - Middle aged to older, seen in Kemi and the dementia mention, lack of youth mention may relate to the older age of the audience but also the nature of conservative viewpoints being traditional and therefore followed by the old 
• Gender - dominant group of male seen in an article but the subordinate group is the major representation, signifies change 
• Ethnicity - positive dominant rep with Kemi, however negative rep is present in the mention of broken immigration 

Constructed realism - way in which media products use technical elements of media language to create a product that looks real but is actually a version of reality constructed through choices by the editors/journalists 

-Audiences tend to accept these versions as real

-ideology in these representations is then also accepted 

Hall

• focus on potential meanings constructed, with who or what is represented alongside the absence of those not represented 
• representation may intend to fix meanings in a preferred reading 
• not about reflecting or distorting reality as that implies 1 true meaning
• representation finds meaning in what audience interprets

-Representation is both what is present and absent

-there is not only 1 fixed meaning

-preferred meaning is created through stereotyping  

11-12-24                                            Representation & Case studies

Daily Mail 

• Arguable Negative representations of minority, only non British feature is of an Italian descent Assassin 
• Arguable positive representation of DG trying to 'stand up' for women against GPs 
• Right wing ideology displayed  in the failings of GPs, trying to suggest that public healthcare is insufficient 
• negative rep of women in stating conflict about an assassin, suggests a drive by lust not logic, further depicting a divide in the genders in viewing women as being unable to think as rationally or protect themselves 

• minority negatively represented in the mention of Syria and the people it holds being a risk of security 
• Trad family values arguably seen in the middle aged women drinking wine for Christmas 
• British culture depicted as defensive by demonising foreign countries and the regime 

• Negative minority representation, depicts them as violent and aggressive with both sides being depicted as a bad thing
• emotive language used e.g vulnerable 

The events of the assassin's capture are depicted unusually normally by the Daily Mail, sensationalising his looks whilst putting down women in the process, its arguable the fact he isn't straight demonised for his actions breaks away from a. pure right wing viewpoint, with private healthcare being a capitalist mindset. His depiction is however watered down by the misogynistic quote about women being conflicted because hie is hot, it suggests women think with lust not logic and would pass on someones sins if they were hot enough. This paired with the positive DG representation that puts down women further by suggesting they need men to protect them from the evil socialist GPs creates that traditional value held by the Daily Mail. 

DM communicates a political right wing ideology through its demonisation of countries outside of the UK  whilst maintaining a defensive stance towards a foreign 'opposition.' The violent and aggressive connotations of Syrians create din their cover displays a hatred towards the minority group, choosing to focus only on the armies and not on the citizens themselves in order to parrot a narrative of demonisation and hate towards foreigners who may migrate to the UK. The covers all lack a representation of disability and pursue a positive representation of white upper class males, a reflection of the owners and the praise for. aright wing dominant group. 

Butler

• Gender is created in performance of gender roles and the repetition of these roles
• heteronormativity in media creates gender trouble for those who do not fit in the norm 
• performed rather than expressed through performance of socially learned behaviours

Gilroy

• failed to mourn the loss of an empire 
• post colonialism, the ways in which colonial history influences attitudes towards ethnicity
• superiority of white western culture 
• criminalisation of immigrants in the media  

seen in the right wing values of the DM and the demonisation of immigrants, still seeing white culture as superior due to lost power   

12-12-24

Do now

1)Daily mail would positively represent the DG of white, upper class males whilst negatively representing minority groups, such as criminalising immigrants whilst praising right wing political ideology and politicians like Trump or Nigel Farage, with traditional family and British values displayed

2)Butlers theory consists of gender performativity and the heteronormative that creates gender trouble for those who do not fit into the 2 stereotypes that are created through repetition of gender roles

3)Gilroy suggests that post colonialism and the failure to mourn a loss of an empire has led to a representation of superiority for white western cultures, Black Atlantic

Representation & case studies

The Guardian

• National news, mention of civil service jobs 
• International representation through Syrian mention which is also. a positive representation of the minority group through the lexis of 'vowels to pursue' which a creates a heroic view of the rebel 
• Objective news seen in the ministers axing, the headline does not state an opinion but rather just the event suggesting less bias
• Critical of the DG in mentions of the murder

• International news, seen through Israel and Syria conflict
• Negative rep of dominant group seen in mention of Vodafone as a company which at its highest is upper class males that have left people suicidal 
• Objective news seen in the Care homes being used of asylum seekers, not stating it as a good or bad thing but rather letting the audience form their own opinion from info given 

• Negative representations of the minority group as seen in the mention of the human slaughterhouse, despite the mention of hope it is still paired with despair 
• International news
• liberal view arguably in the mention of hope about Assad
• objectivity in the UK suspension of Syrian asylum seekers, the news shares both the reason why and how other countries are doing the same, creating an objectivity 

The Guardian communicates ideology through its representation of both minority and dominant groups alongside the lacking representation of groups such as those with disabilities. The cover utilises a lexis of objectivity in its formality to propose itself as liberal to central, the fact it does not criticise the layoffs of thousands of workers but remains neutral is arguably against their usual style but is a representation of their DG writers who do not fully comprehend the impact and struggle of the working class. The international representation through the mentions of Syria further push a liberal standpoint, with the cover not just focusing on the west, with a praise and heroic description of the rebels 'vowing to pursue torturers'. 

The international news arguably perpetuates a negative view of the minority group which may link to DG bias from the writers, as seen in the rightful criticism of a human slaughterhouse that brought 'hope and despair.'  This is alongside the Guardian using a centralist viewpoint on the issue of asylum seeker suspension, in an attempt to report objectively rather than opinionated.

Butler

Gender preformance seen in the main image of a 10 year old girl being dolled up with makeup, a stereotypical depiction that repeats gender roles.

Gilroy

Less criminalisation with them and us but white superiority still depicted in mention of the un-humanitarian nature of certain countries alongside the view that Britain is used for asylum due to its superiority 

18-12-24

Do Now

• codes and conventions are the repetitive uses of similar media language and other elements within a genre of product
• media language in print is the camerawork, lexis, typography, layout, editing on the front cover
• political contexts reflect political climate of the  time of production, e.g right wing leadership
• Butler - gender preformativity, heteronormativity, gender trouble
• Gilroy. - Black Atlantic, white western culture superiority, criminalisation of immigrants 

Question One

10 Marks

-Analysis of 2 sources using a named theory

Representations in the news covers have been created to represent the papers political alignment and viewpoint in reference to current political context. 

The Guardian cover utilises denotations of Rishi Sunak to create a negative viewpoint of the conservative party that criticise their leadership and almost mocks their current state. As stated by Barthes in his theory of semiology myths are created through signs (connotations) that are created by what is present, within the cover the main image proposes an eye level shot that creates. an illusion of a high angle through choosing an image of Sunak staring down, the solemn expression across his face paired with desaturated backdrop and muted lighting creates the perfect representation of weakness an loss.  This depiction of Sunak the current PM as he calls for a general election elevates the Guardians myth of tory failure and pursues their liberal agenda in critiquing conservatives even at their lowest in order to better the country with new political leadership that falls less right wing, being indicative of the political context at the time, in which conservative leadership had evidently failed to make Britain greater and harsh criticism fell upon all tory MPs. 

The Daily Express utilises a powerful image of Sunak that serves the opposite purpose of The Guardian, with their allegiance being to the right wing leadership that they deny failed despite the political landscape. The connotations created are those of power and leadership alongside bravery, with these being created through both the image and lexis of the cover, with the image being a mid shot of Sunak in the rain which highlights the wetness of his clothes to connote his willingness to do anything for the sake of the country,  alongside the fact the image has him speaking with a stern face that further connotes the view of him leading the country to a better place and shutting down the opposition. As seen Barthes is clear here through the positive myths about conservative leadership created through the powerful depiction of Sunak and the connotations of conservative leadership. This mirrors the political contexts of the covers inception, with the oncoming general election meaning media such as the papers shave to portray their allegiances well in order to try and influence voters for their side, and the powerful depiction of Sunak polarises the frequent mocking and shameful depictions of him at the time. 

Representations of the conservative party are created clearly through the denotations used in The Guardians lexis, dubbing his event as a 'big gamble,' being implicative of the fact it is unlikely he will win this election due to the leadership he has displayed, alongside the new far right party of reform emerging and labour having high popularity due to the countries desperation for change. Comparatively the Daily Express uses a lexis in a bold typography of a sans serif font to connote Rishi as a great leader, when paired with the image the text of 'I am fighting for our nations future' creates a heroic outlook on the PM despite his previous failings in leadership that have led him to call a general election.  This reflects the fact hat they need to build up their political figurehead for the election due to the political context at the time being very negative towards conservatives for their poor leadership, whilst the Guardian is able to openly represnt conservatives as disappointing due to their political allegiance being more liberal. 

Overall papers use representations constructed through denotations and the use of myths in order to reflect their political contexts, Barthes serves to help understand representations and how they are used whilst the connotations themselves allow insight in a newspapers political ideology. 

 

19-12-24

1)open, peel with theory on one source, peele with theory on second source, repeat again for other element of theory, conclusion

2)one case study one random, both case studies, no case studies 

3)semiology, study of signs

4)Language, Industry, Audience, Representation

5) Personal opinion derived from the sources that dictate how much something meets the criteria asked for 

Question 2

15 marks

-compare sources, make judgements 

Newspapers have evolved to stay relevant which has led the the adaptation of genre conventions. A broadsheet newspaper traditionally followed conventions of hard news that was political or financial in nature, with little emphasis on sensationalised gossip, utilising sans serif fonts and high text to image ratios to maintain an essence of formality and professionalism for appeal to the educated  middle and upper class readership. Broadsheets also traditionally followed a black and white colour palette with little advertisements scattered across the covers that appealed primarily to society and the dominant group, which is also the main represented group in this genre, with the most notable trait being the size being double that of a tabloid. These traditional conventions have however evolved over time and certain elements have changed within certain papers such as The Guardian or the Financial Times which clearly express an updated take on broadsheets. 

The Guardian utilises traditional elements such as a greater text to image raton in most cases, however the source used provides an equal text o image ratio with only on. e main image, likely in reference to the hardness of the news hitting and the focus on the storyline as seen from the main headline, in contrast the financial times still maintains a more dominant text to image ratio. Where conventions change is within the colour palette, having both papers switch from traditional black and white images due to advance sin technology alongside adding colour to the front, for the Guardian a blue colour is present that is symbolic of their brand and is utilised for their masthead and banner, whilst the financial times uses an extremely unconventional beige background colour rather than the traditional white. These elements of colour suggest a slight genre hybridity as proposed by Neal in which as genres evolve, in this case broadsheets, elements may be borrowed from others to further increase audience appeal, in this case the traditional tabloid identity of colour has been added in to bring the papers closer to a tabloid whilst maintaining an identity of a broadsheet, allowing for more uniqueness and personality in the papers. This is clear demonstration of the covers evolving and switching up conventions in the broadsheet genre due to the passing of time. 

The financial times utilises the conventions of advertisements on the cover whilst The Guardian maintains an ad free cover, this depicts a clear divide in genre evolution due to how certain papers may stick to conventions others disregard, as see with the traditional advertisements only being present in one. In contrast to this The Guardians cover lines are far more opinionated on the hard news than what is usually expected from a broadsheet, it is convention to have political allegiance normally seen i n support but The Guardians mocking lexis of 'things can only get wetter' and 'big gamble' aim to demean the conservative party with puns rather than the traditional full on objective news, whilst the Financial times also remains clear right wing they hold more objectivity in their cover lines with the term 'bets' being far less implicit of loss or gain, suggesting at least for this case the paper remains more factual rather than opinionated. With opinions being a Tabloid trope rather than broadsheet which further suggests evolution of the conventions through lexis and arguable sensationalisation f certain hard news topics. 

The papers show the clear dynamic changes to genre conventions over a widespread period of time that has pushed them closer t similarity with tabloids, each paper has chosen certain traditional elements to maintain whilst dispelling others for the sake of modernity and evolution.